A lawsuit filed against Pacific Gas and Electric and a contractor claims that the company did not properly clear vegetation in the Butte Fire, a Southern California law firm said on Tuesday.

A lawsuit filed against Pacific Gas and Electric and a contractor claims that the company did not properly clear vegetation in the Butte Fire, a Southern California law firm said on Tuesday.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:25 PM PDT Sep 29, 2015

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT KCRA THREE NEWS AT 10:00 STARTS NOW. ROB: WE START WITH THIS. THE BUTTE FIRE IN AMADOR AND CALAVERAS COUNTIES LEFT TWO PEOPLE DEAD. AND DESTROYED HUNDREDS OF HOMES. TONIGHT TWO FAMILIES ARE DEMANDING COMPENSATION FROM THE COMPANY THEY SAY IS RESPONSIBLE. PG&E AND ITS CONTRACTED TREE TRIMMING COMPANY ARE FACING A LAWSUIT TONIGHT FROM TWO PEOPLE WHO LOST EVERYTHING IN THE BUTTE FIRE. KELLIE: KCRA 3'S TOM MILLER EXPLAINS WHAT THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE COMPANIES DID WRONG, AND WHY THIS MAY BE JUST BE THE FIRST. TOM: THE 17 PAGE LAWSUIT ALLEGES PG&E AND TREE TRIMMING COMPANY TREES INC. WERE NEGLIGENT IN PROPERLY MAINTAINING A POWER LINE THE UTILITY COMPANY SAYS MAY HAVE STARTED THE BUTTE FIRE. WHAT HAPPENED WAS A TREE, FELL ON A LINE THAT WAS OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC. TOM: WE SPOKE TO THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY GERALD SINGLETON VIA SKYPE. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, BOTH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT INSURED, THEY LOST LITERALLY EVERYTHING THEY OWN AND SO WE NEED TO GET THEM COMPENSATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TOM: IN RESPONSE TO THE LAWSUIT A PG&E SPOKESPERSON WRITES, WE WILL RESPOND TO THIS LAWSUIT IN THE NORMAL LEGAL PROCESS, WE ARE COOPERATING FULLY WITH CAL FIRE IN ITS INVESTIGATION ON THE SOURCE OF THE IGNITION FOR THE BUTTE FIRE. THE TWO PLAINTIFFS ARE JUST TWO OF 475 PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES. MISTY MCCOURT BLAMES PG&E FOR HER LOSS AS WELL. THERE IS MATTRESS AND BED FRAME. TOM: SHE SAYS SHE'LL LIKELY PURSUE LEGAL ACTION IF SHE ISN'T COMPENSATED OUTSIDE OF COURT. WE'RE SO STRESSED OUT. MY TRUCK KEEPS OVERHEATING. I HAVE DOGS I COULD GET MORE DOG FOOD. MONEY WOULD HELP OUT A WHOLE LOT. TOM: SPECIFICALLY THE LAWSUIT STATES THE COMPANIES WERE NEGLIGENT IN FAILING TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, MONITOR, AND MAINTAIN HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES IN A MANNER THAT AVOIDS LIGHTING FIRE DURING LONG, DRY SEASONS. DO YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT PG&E WAS ACTUALLY BEING NEGLIGENT AND THAT THIS WASN'T JUST AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT. GIVEN THE INFORMATION THAT WE A PROPERLY CONFIGURED LINE WOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE A TREE FALL ON IT, THAT LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS NEGLIGENCE. TOM: THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED HERE AT THE CALAVERES COUNTY COURTHOUSE, BEFORE CAL FIRE OFFICIALLY RULES ON WHAT STARTED THE BLAZE. THE ATTORNEY WHO FILED IT TELLS ME THAT'S BECAUSE HE WANTS TO GET THIS PROCESS ROLLING, AND COMPENSATION FOR HIS CLIENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Lawsuit: PG&E negligent in Butte Fire

A lawsuit filed against Pacific Gas and Electric and a contractor claims that the company did not properly clear vegetation in the Butte Fire, a Southern California law firm said on Tuesday.